Chapter 716: Luckily, I'm Uncultured
Yan'an Prefecture, Shaanxi.
Chen Qiyu, the Governor of Yansui, was stationed in Yan'an Prefecture.
Chen Qiyu had only been the new governor since the sixth month of the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, meaning he had only been in Yan'an Prefecture for half a year.
He had inherited a complete mess.
Although the bulk of the rebel army had already crossed the Yellow River and wreaked havoc in Shanxi, several rebel factions still lingered within Shaanxi.
The three most notorious among them were Xue Hongqi, Yizuo Cheng, and Yizi Wang.
In his half-year tenure, Chen Qiyu had faced shortages of funds, food, and troops, all while trying to quell these three major rebel groups. Who wouldn't be plagued by such worries? It was enough to make his head ache fiercely.
The only silver lining was that Huanglong Mountain, once a notorious den of thieves, was no longer a bandit stronghold, thanks to the "combined efforts" of Shaanxi Governor Wang Shunxing, Shaanxi Supervising Censor Wu Shen, and Chengcheng County Magistrate Liang Shixian.
This had, to some extent, eased his burden.
At first, Chen Qiyu found the news of a grain convoy's arrival unremarkable. What was so special about that?
But then, he caught the key details. Two crucial phrases in the report stood out: "large grain transport convoy" and "traversed Huanglong Mountain."
Chen Qiyu looked up. "A large grain convoy would require many carts and horses. Surely, they would have followed the official road from Xi'an to Yan'an? Why would this convoy traverse Huanglong Mountain? Is such a treacherous and vital area suitable for a large transport team?"
The subordinate reported, beaming, "Magistrate Liang Shixian of Chengcheng County constructed a truly remarkable road, named the Huang-Yan Highway! It cuts right through Huanglong Mountain and leads directly to the southwestern outskirts of our Yan'an Prefecture."
"What?" Chen Qiyu exclaimed, losing his composure. "That incredible? Are you sure? I recall... there's a peculiar peak in the southwestern outskirts, called Dadunliang Mountain, standing like an insurmountable barrier in the wilderness. How did their road cross Dadunliang Mountain?"
The subordinate's expression instantly shifted to one that suggested he was recounting a fantastical rumor he himself could barely believe. "Liang Shixian's people drilled a massive hole through the heart of Dadunliang Mountain, piercing it completely. The road passes straight through that tunnel."
"What?!" Chen Qiyu's brush clattered from his hand. "Impossible, absolutely impossible! You scoundrel, instead of learning good things, you've learned to fabricate lies."
The subordinate insisted, "Your subordinate would never dare to lie about such a matter, Governor. You only need to glance at the city outskirts to see the truth. How could I speak nonsense when a lie would be so easily exposed?"
He had a point!
Chen Qiyu sprang to his feet. "Ready the horses! I must see this for myself."
Over two hours later, Chen Qiyu and a large retinue of his subordinates arrived at the foot of Dadunliang Mountain.
One wouldn't know without seeing it; the world was truly wondrous.
The steep, towering Dadunliang Mountain now indeed had a colossal hole carved through its belly, and a grey concrete road emerged from within it...
Above the tunnel entrance, a horizontal plaque hung, bearing the words "Huangqiu Terrace Tunnel" in standard Song script.
Chen Qiyu was utterly dumbfounded, staring with an open mouth and a jaw that refused to close, just shy of drooling—he looked utterly idiotic.
Luckily, he wasn't prone to uncontrolled drooling!
Chen Qiyu dashed to the tunnel entrance, peering into the distance.
The tunnel was incredibly long—over three *li* in length—and pitch black inside. Only a faint sliver of daylight could be dimly perceived from the opposite opening.
"Light the torches!"
The attendants lit their torches, and the group proceeded into the tunnel.
Though dark, the interior was remarkably clean and orderly. The ground was a solid concrete road, and the walls were smoothly rounded, made of some strange, unknown material, so there was no fear of falling rocks.
The group cautiously made their way, as if exploring a dreamlike passage, through the Huangqiu Terrace Tunnel, finally emerging at its southern entrance.
This journey felt utterly fantastical.
Emerging on this side, they beheld the majestic Huanglong Mountain range unfurling endlessly before their eyes. The grey concrete road stretched out from beneath their feet, winding through the mountains like a path to the heavens.
Chen Qiyu stammered, "This... this..."
He wanted to voice his astonishment, but found himself utterly speechless.
His subordinates, however, were able to express their awe with perfect clarity: "Damn!"
"Luckily I'm uncultured, a single 'damn' conquers the world."
See? The cultured Governor couldn't even utter a word.
In that moment, the uncultured reigned supreme!
Chen Qiyu remained frozen in place, utterly petrified...
Fortunately, a merchant caravan appeared on the road ahead, snapping Chen Qiyu out of his stupor. His spirits instantly lifted. "Ah, another caravan! What are they transporting this time?"
It was a caravan carrying books!
The Gao Family Village comic books: a cultural export brigade.
Li Daoxuan's field of view was rapidly approaching Yan'an Prefecture. With the opening of the Huang-Yan Highway, Gao Family Village naturally began to plan its influence in Yan'an. Thus, the first caravan was a large grain convoy, followed by the comic book brigade.
They pursued both material and spiritual influence, believing both aspects were crucial and neither could be neglected.
When the caravan reached Chen Qiyu, he squinted, then saw that the carts were laden with books. A fondness immediately blossomed in his heart. After all, what scholar didn't love books?
"Who is the leader of this caravan? The Governor wishes to speak with you."
The caravan halted, and a young man in merchant attire, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen, emerged from the rear. He walked with a smile towards Chen Qiyu. "Governor, please speak freely. My humble self's surname is Gao, and my given name is Shan. I am in charge of this convoy."
Gao Shan, seventeen years old this year, was the son of Gao Laba and one of the original forty-two young residents of Gao Family Village. His father, Gao Laba, ran a rice noodle shop, and Gao Shan had been educated at Gao Family Village's school.
He had dropped out of middle school halfway through, a complete academic slacker.
He had tried to follow his father into business, but running a rice noodle shop clearly didn't suit his "half-baked intellectual" persona. So, he had turned his hand to the cultural industry, trading in comic books and making inroads into Yan'an.
Though an academic slacker, he was also a scion of wealth; his family was quite rich.
Thus, the Heavenly Lord embroidery on Gao Shan's chest was stitched with gold thread, gleaming ostentatiously.
Chen Qiyu scrutinized the young man before him. He seemed well-read, with an excellent demeanor, yet lacked the pedantic air of a bookworm. He appeared to be a promising talent.
Inwardly, he was impressed. He then inquired, "Your caravan sells books, does it? Where do you hail from?"
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